Making its debut at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast after a multi-award winning run in New York, Man In The Moon is Brassneck Theatre Company’s latest triumph.
With a sparse set consisting of a park bench and a massively ominous moon silhouette in the background and props which amount to a single three litre bottle of cider (or barrack if you will) – this is the kind of theatre where the dialogue literally does the talking.
A one-man show starring Ciaran Nolan, Man In The Moon tells the story of Sean Doran, a down-and-out West Belfast man who has lost his job, his girlfriend and most of his family, and who now lives back at his ma’s house. As Sean wanders around the Half Moon Lake where he frolicked with his mates as a teenager and ultimately, spent the happiest days of his life, he remembers those who have left him – mostly by their own hand.
Written by Pearse Elliott and directed by Tony Devlin, the dialogue is ‘spot on’ – with every Belfastian vulgarity that leaves Sean’s mouth and every obscene gesture that he makes, this play oozes a sort of boorish charm that you can’t help but get wrapped up in.
Despite the serious subject matter of mental health issues, suicide and depression, this is a performance full of dark humour and the audience consistently roar with laughter throughout the evening. Over the course of 90 minutes we get to know Sean through the varied and colourful characters of his past – everyone from ‘Bombscare’ to ‘Baldy Bill’ make an appearance and help to weave the rich tapestry of Sean’s life.
It seems more than obvious to say that Nolan is the star of this solo performance, but I would definitely struggle to imagine any other actor playing this part so well. The language, gestures and pure non-stop physicality of his performance is utterly superb and Nolan simply commands laugh after laugh from the willing audience who are seated firmly in the palm of his hand.
This is an engaging insight into the soul of a man who seems to have everything set against him, yet after a lifetime of woes he still maintains the will to survive (unlike those around him) and get through it with a smirk and a shrug as he tells life to ‘suck the back of them’.
Man In The Moon is running in the Lyric Theatre until the 24th April. For more information and to book tickets click here.
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